1. Technical Field
This invention relates to orthodontic appliances.
2. Background Art
Anyone who has had orthodontic treatment knows the discomfort associated with the wearing of an orthodontic appliance, such as a retainer. They are bulky and often impede clear speech. Exposed wires can also be an embarrassment, especially to younger people. Habitual wearing of the appliance is required, however, in order to achieve the desired results.
An orthodontic appliance consists of wires and auxiliary devices imbedded in a hard acrylic resin which conforms to the upper or lower palate of the mouth. Some such appliances are: Frankel, Bionator, Retainer, Sagittal, and Bonded Palatal Expander, etc. They are unlike other dental prosthesis in that they are made with what is commonly known in the art as "cold cure" acrylic.
Acrylic is made up of two substances: a polymeric component and a monomeric component. To produce the desired acrylic material, the polymer is used as a powdered compound and the monomer is used as a liquid compound.
A variety of dental prosthetic devices have been proposed. To ease wear discomfort, it has been proposed that the acrylic material be flavored or scented heretofore. This has required the complex addition of flavoring or olfactory agents to the polymeric component or the spraying of a surface coating of a scented solution onto the prepared acrylic device.